WHITEBAIT FISHING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1032, 24 July 1930, Page 12

WHITEBAIT FISHING

EFFORTS TO PRESERVE SUPPLIES REGULATIONS BEING DRAFTED Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. The secretary of the Marine Defdiriment, .MV. G. C. Godfrey, stated that i iis department is making inquiries into the present position of the whitebait fishery and concerning what steps should be taken to preserve, and, if possible, promote the supply. The department has sent out a draft of riie consolidated and revised regulations with a view to getting suggestions from acclimatisation societies and those engaged in or interested in the industry. In order to make the regulations as perfect as possible the department desired first to ascertain the extent of the depletion of the fishery, the causes of such depletion and the best course to take to restore and improve the catches. Up to the present time the responsible officer had been engaged in summarising the reports received and in considering the value of the remedies recommended. The Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr. A. R. Hefford. was on a visit to the West Coast, making further inquiries and would shortly be able to finalise his recommendations. It was not correct that the regulations had met with such opposition that they had been dropped. Inquiries were still being made and lie had been informed by the chief inspector that the necessity of safe-guarding future supplies by imposing restrictions upon the fishing operations as conducted at present had been admitted by those who had long and intimate practical acquaintance with this fishery. The leading professional whitebait fishermen at Hokitika and elsewhere were in favour of the introduction of a licensing system to enable the fishery io be kept under better control. With two exceptions, in all districts where v/hitebait fishing was pursued for purposes of sale on an appreciable .scale it was reported that the present conditions showed deterioration.